Dark Souls 3: Ashes of AriandelReview

There’s something for every Dark Souls 3 fan to enjoy in Ashes of Ariandel, the first of two planned DLC packs. There’s a brand-new icy land to explore, new weapons, armor, and spells of almost every type that are sure to please no matter what skills your character favors. Exactly how long that enjoyment lasts, however, may depend on whether you enjoy fighting players over bosses.

In this expansion, you will journey to a land quite familiar to and yet altogether different from the Painted World of Ariamis of Dark Souls 1. Despite being able to access the new area early on, don’t expect this new Painted World of Ariandel to pull any punches, even if you’ve already beaten the final boss of Dark Souls 3. Enemies here are both diverse and deadly, and able to deal incredible damage. More than ever, learning their attack patterns quickly is key to survival. The Millwood Knights – hulking, Viking-inspired men who wander the forests – are able to explode the ground around you with their unique weapons, and they hit like trucks. On the other hand, the wolves of Ariandel may not look imposing, but their ability to rally huge packs to their location with a howl will have you quickly beset on all sides.

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The Painted World itself can be just as deadly, with treacherous mountain cliffs and false snowbanks that crumble underneath you that can lead to perilous situations. Ariandel holds a surprising diverse range of settings, which is a bit bittersweet considering how fast you’ll move through them. Whether battling up a snowy forest full of hunters, descending a deadly drop of large twisted roots, or exploring a rotting settlement full of disturbingly sickly occupants, I was continually impressed by each new area and wished they could have been larger. They’re more like teases than satisfying parts of the world.

To make matters worse, Ariandel seems to continue Dark Souls 3’s tradition of an over-abundance of bonfires that made these bite-sized places feel even quicker – I never had to worry about retreading my steps. At one point I even found bonfires on both sides of a bridge, with no enemies anywhere near either side. When you add shortcuts to the mix, Ariandel becomes relatively tame when you don’t have to push as far to make progress. Expect to spend about five to ten hours depending on your skill and whether or not you stop to explore and smell the rotting roses.

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I was continually impressed by each new area and wished they could have been larger.

The bosses of Ariandel are formidable in their own right and provide some unexpected twists, although I felt that both the main and the optional boss relied on somewhat similar tactics. Despite that, I found a good amount of challenge from both enemies because they forced me to change up tactics when things weren’t going my way. While I felt like the final boss turned into more of an endurance test, I was still happy with the outcome once I learned to deal with each of the threats I came up against. I also found it particularly pleasing that, in keeping with the Dark Souls spirit of fighting to earn your prizes, you won’t be able to engage in the PvP arenas until defeating the optional boss.

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For those who enjoy the rigors of mortal combat, the new arena in Ashes of Ariandel will provide even more content. There’s a robust amount of options and modifiers you can control - things like setting up anywhere from two to six players in either team battles or messy free-for-alls, as well as toggling the optional ability to heal. The arena itself holds just the slightest bit of cover and vantage points, forcing conflict while still allowing ranged fighters to seek alternative avenues. I was also happy to see that there was anti-spawn-camping feature in effect, blasting back opponents seeking to strike before you were ready to fight.

The Verdict

The Painted World of Ariandel presents a land that’s both enticing and dangerous, and there’s plenty of challenges to face even if you won’t have to face them too many times. However, unless you really love dueling in PvP arenas and can find sustained interest there, this adventure may serve as more of an appetizer than a full course meal.